1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mandibular motion reproducing device for enabling reproduction of the human mandibular motion with high precision by the use of a mating mandibular model and maxillary model.
2. Prior Art
It is, needless to say, quite important to have accurate knowledge and information about mandibular motion for proper execution of dental diagnoses, treatments and restorative operations such as the manufacture of prostheses used for restoration of the gnathic function, diagnosis of irregular occlusion, quantitative measurement of the amount of irregularity of occulusion or of the relationship between gnatho-articular defect and occlusion. Although recently it has become possible to obtain precise information about individual patients' gnathic motions thanks to the improved possibility of applying modern knowledges of optics, magnetics and electronics to the measurement of mandibular motion, such attempts have so far been limited to the gathering of information required for operation of articulator and diagnosis of gnathic motion. To date no successful attempt has been made for high-precision reproduction of gnathic motion on the basis of the gathered data. Worse, since the prior art measuring systems have been invariably of the type in which the measuring members are set in the mouth cavity of the patient, they have had fatal defect of being unable to gather information about the conditions the range from closure of the mouth to the mouth-opening of 2-3 mm, which is known to be most important for restoration of occlusion.